Kashmiri saffron, Kannauj's 'ittar' among curated collection of gifts given to G20 leaders

New Delhi: Heads of state from across the world and other leaders who attended the G20 Summit here were gifted a curated collection of handcrafted artefacts and products that speak volumes about India's rich cultural traditions, officials said on Tuesday.

Some of the gifts were meticulously hand-crafted by master artisans of the country, they said.

The gift items included saffron from Kashmir, sheesham wood chests with brass patti, Pekoe Darjeeling and Nilgiri tea, Araku coffee, Kashmiri Pashmina shawl, Sundarbans multiflora mangrove honey and Zighrana 'ittar' (perfume oil) from Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj, they said.

The G20 Summit was held at the newly-built Bharat Mandapam at Pragati Maidan from September 9-10.

It was attended by US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron, among other world leaders.

The government of India gifted the leaders a curated collection of handcrafted artefacts and products that speak volumes about India's rich cultural traditions, the officials said.

"Some of the products gifted to them are those of centuries of tradition and cherished across the world for their unparalleled workmanship and quality," a senior official said.

A Khadi scarf and a coin box containing G20 commemorative coins were also gifted to visiting leaders by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Spouses of the world leaders were gifted items representing the culture of India by Modi, according to the officials.